Deer

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT DEER - PAGE 4

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - West Virginia's two-week, bucks-only gun hunting season begins today and state wildlife officials are predicting a slightly higher deer kill this year, given an abundance of food for the animals. Most regions have good acorn crops, which means deer will be widely distributed and less visible in open fields, according to the state Division of Natural Resources. Although deer will move into lower elevations for food like apples - a common crop in the Eastern Panhandle - acorns are a more nutritional food source for deer, said Dick Pharr, owner of Spark's Sport Center in Martinsburg.

charlestown@herald-mail.com MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - If the parking lot of Spark's Sport Center on Monday afternoon was any indication of how successful deer hunters will be this year, it could be a big season for the sport. It was only mid-afternoon and Dick Pharr, co-owner of the sporting center, had already broken a record for the most deer checked in at his store off Wheatland Street on the first day of deer season. Pharr said he had checked at least 90 deer, the most he has seen in the 29 years he has been in business.

Editor's Note: Tim Rowland is on vacation. While he's away, some of his favorite columns are running again. This column ran on Nov. 28, 2000. Welcome to the second week of Car Season. Yes, I said Car Season. Because it's come to my attention through my powers of deduction and infiltration of the Bambino cervine crime syndicate, that humans aren't the only ones who consciously bag game for sport. I got suspicious several years ago when I noticed that, beginning in mid- to late November, the number of deer-car collisions escalates dramatically.

If you're looking for a good legislative agenda to get behind as the Maryland General Assembly fires into action this week, may I suggest you need look no further than the goals set forth by Del. Joe Bartlett, R-Frederick/Washington. In a legislative preview in a regional publication, one State House correspondent wrote that Bartlett "has plans to restore respect to the teaching profession and reduce the number of deer killed on the state's roads. " I couldn't agree more on these priorities.

The arrival of October means that deer season will be in full swing for the entire region. In West Virginia, this means bow season. In Maryland, the early muzzleloader season offers hunters great chances to bag big bucks before the general rifle season. Of course, the highlight is the upcoming general firearms season in November. The continued growth in deer populations has created many unique opportunities for deer hunters. For example, the Maryland DNR announced this week the opening of the crossbow hunting season for deer on Oct. 1. The need for a crossbow season has always escaped me, but we have a season nonetheless.

GETTYSBURG, PA. - A Shippensburg, Pa., man was killed Thursday when the motorcycle he was riding struck a deer on Shippensburg Road in Menallen Township, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Adams County. Walter T. Eichelberger, 60, of 155 Fogelsanger Road, was on Shippensburg Road at about 7 p.m. when the 2006 Honda Rebel he was riding struck a deer running across the road, police said. The motorcycle then struck an embankment, police said. Eichelberger was wearing a helmet, police said.

bonnieb@herald-mail.com FORT LOUDON, Pa. - It's easy to tell when deer hunting season is approaching in Franklin County. Pickup trucks cruise the roads slowly at night, their occupants shining spotlights into farm fields. The air is filled with the sound of hunters firing their rifles at targets to be sure their scopes are properly aligned. Keystone Country Store in Fort Loudon swarms with hunters purchasing licenses, clothing, accessories and guns. Pennsylvania rifle season opens Monday and ends Dec. 11. Both bucks and does are legal targets.

HANCOCK - A Pasadena, Md., man died after the Harley-Davidson motorcycle that he and a woman were riding on Interstate 70 on Saturday afternoon struck a deer near Md. 615., east of Hancock, Maryland State Police said. Steven Eckenrode, 58, was pronounced dead at the collision site on the eastbound lanes of the highway. Karen Eckenrode, 45, of the same Pasadena, Md., address, was flown to University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where a hospital spokesman said Saturday night she was in critical condition.

Odds and ends from the notebook: On Jan. 2, Jimmy Koontz was pondering whether it was worth getting his 1978 Chevrolet pickup fixed when a deer made up his mind for him. On his way to work about 6 a.m. near Rouzerville, Pa., Koontz said a small buck jumped in front of the truck, smashing the grill, the headlight housing and denting the bumper. It was the latest unpleasant surprise for a Hagerstown couple who have been fighting to stay solvent since their daughter, Alivia, was born with a rare heart defect.

waynesboro@herald-mail.com WAYNESBORO, PA. - When Patrick Brezler hunts deer, his weapon goes click, not bang, and his prey always walks away after the shot. The Pennsylvania woods these days are filled with hunters armed with high-powered rifles, and Brezler would have been similarly armed until 15 years ago, when he injured his shoulder in a military parachuting accident. "I was an avid deer hunter," said Brezler, 62, of 359 W. Second St. "I hunted in states around here, in Utah and in Canada," After the accident, Brezler needed to shift to another interest, so he sold his guns and bought camera equipment.